Scholarship

Auxiliary Scholarship and Student Loan Fund Information

Since its beginnings in 1917, one of the main purposes of the Auxiliary to the AVMA has been assisting veterinarians, often times with financial help in times of need. In 1920, the Auxiliary proposed giving loans to veterinary students. After a year of consideration, the Auxiliary gave its first student loan in 1921. Throughout the years since then, the Auxiliary has been raising money to provide money for a student loan fund and operating a Student Loan Fund for veterinary students in the third and fourth year. With the changing of economic times, the costs of a veterinary college degree, and student needs, the Auxiliary recognized a need for scholarships. In 2011, the Auxiliary House of Delegates passed a motion to convert $2,000,000 from the Student Loan Fund into a scholarship. The Auxiliary chose the American Veterinary Medical Foundation as the charitable organization to administrate the scholarship program and distribute the scholarships. After developing a Memorandum of Understanding with the AVMF and receiving required State of Illinois government approvals, the Auxiliary presented the AVMF with a check for $2,000,000 during the AVMA Convention in Chicago, IL in July 2013. The application and selection process for the first scholarships has taken place and the first recipients were announced for 2015.

The Auxiliary Student Loan Fund is no longer issuing loans. It is honoring all previously existing student loans and will administrate the program until these are paid in full.

Members, veterinarians, and individuals may make donations to the scholarship. Make checks payable to the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, note on the memo line “Auxiliary to the AVMA Legacy Endowed Scholarship”, and include a note with the donation stating that it is for the Auxiliary to the AVMA Legacy Endowed Scholarship and whether the donation is being made in Memory or Honor of someone. Donations to the Auxiliary scholarship are tax deductible as a charitable contribution since the AVMF is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation.